Dirt-wagon.



H. C. COPENHAGEN.

l mm WAGON. APPLICATION FILED JAN. I6, i914.

1 1 53, 1 '79. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. @1i/W, 15" f W f7 BY ATTORNEYv H. C..COPENHAGEN.`

A TTORNEY QOLUMBIA PLANOURAPH cu.. WASHINGTON. D. c,

- bottom HERMAN C. COPENHAGEN, OF AUBURN, WASHNGTON.

DIRT-WAGON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented` Sept. '7, `1915.

Application filed January 16, 1914. Serial No. 812,387.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that L'HERMAN C. COPEN- nAGnN, a citizen -of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of King and State of Tvllashington, hare invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirt- VVagons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wheeled vehicles, and has particular reference to that class known as dump-wagons having drop-doors at the bottom of the wagon box.

n rlChe object of the invention is the provision of `mechanism'under the controlr of a driver whereby the rear end of a wagon body may be lowered into convenient position to be loaded, and the provision of devices .for restoring the body to its normal raised position by means of mechanism which is operated through the agency of one of the wagon-wheels during the forward travel of the same. .i

A further object is to provide releasable means for positivelyV supporting the wagonbody when in its elevated position.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fieure 1 is a side elevation of a dumpwagon with my invention applied thereto, and with one of the rear wheels omitted and the axle thereof in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same but with thebody shown in its lowered position and the drop-doors closed. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. t is a rear elevation of the wagon with the various parts thereof disposed as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the stirrup hanger for the rear end of the wagon-box. p

rlie wagon-body or box 10,` as shown, is of the hopper type and is provided at the with gravity-openable doors 11 which are connected to the side walls of the box by hinges 12. Y

The free ends of the doors are each supported by a chain 13 secured at one end to the box to the rear of the door and passing below the latter and in front of the box through a guide 14 and pulleys 15 to a winding drum 16 which is journaled in bracketsupports 17 secured to the box.

Provided on the drum-axle is a ratchetwheel 18 for engagement by a pawl 19 carried by a lever 20 fulcrumed on the drum axle and extendinfy to within convenient reach of the drveis seat 21. f A dog provided on a treadle 22 is utilized to secure the drum against the accidental unwinding of the chain therefrom except when the wagon-load is to be-dumped when the treadle is pressed downwardly to release the drum, whereupon the weight of the load` upon the doors 11. will cause the sameoto drop with a consequent discharge ofthe load. The aforedescribed parts may be of ordinary or suitable construction except that the referred to parts are connected to the wagon-body to be carried therewith when the same is swung up or down.

YAccording to my improvements the wagon frame is constituted of two longitudinally arranged girder members 23 and 231 disposed at opposite sides of the body 10 and transverse members .24 which are secured to said longitudinal members to furnish a rigid framework. The forward end of such framework is borne upon suitable supports which are carried by the fifth wheel 25, while at the rear end the framework is supportedgupon the bearing boxes 26 for arotary transverse shaft 27 which constitutes the axle for the supporting wheels 28 and 281 which are rotatable independently upon journals provided atthe ends of the axle. One of the wheels, as 28,'is, however, adapted to be coupled to the axle through the medium of crown clutch element 29 which is splined to the shaft, coperating with a clutch element 30 formed on or rigidly secured to the hub of saidkwheel. yThe' clutch element 29 is actuated by means of a forked bell-crank lever 31 having studs engaging within a peripheral rgroove provided in the clutch element 29 and actuated through the agency of a pull-rod v32 connected with an operating ,leverV 33 fulcrumedV to the framemember 23 Vadjacent to the driversf seat.

Boxes 101 and 232 are respectivelysecured to the front of box '10 and frame members 23 'and 231 for a transverse rod 102 to aord hinge connections between the box and the frame. v

Boxes 34 secured to the frame members-23 and 231 afford bearings for a transverse shaft 35 which is located above the axle 27. Box-hoisting lines 36 are secu-red at one end to the respective-frame members 23, 231, thence -pass about sheaves 37 connected to the lower end of the box 10, whence they pass-over pulleys 38 provided on thefshaft 35L and have their other ends secured to the axle 27 Toelevate the rear end of the box,

the wheel 28 is clutched to the axle as the wagon is traveling forward, resulting in the axle being rotated with the wheel to wind up the lines with a consequent hoisting ofv the rear end of the box. When the box is thus raised, it is supported by means of a U-shaped bar or hanger 39, Fig. 5. More particularly, said hanger comprises a hori- Zontally disposed box-supporting part 40 having at each'end an upwardly extending arm 41 which is bent to afford bearing por" tions 42 which are journaled in bearings provided in the frame members 23 and 231.

' forward of the axle and wheel is disposed vto be encountered by the hanger-part 40 when the same is swung rearwardly in withdrawing it from beneath the wagon-box;

then, by the further rearward movement of the yhanger-part the brake-strap part 471 is bent out of a straight line to shorten the 'effective length of the strap and thereby cause the latter to embrace the wheel 46 with a braking action. By such devices the operator manipulates the leverl 45 to throw the hanger-part 40 rapidly from the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 1 into engagement with the strap (see Fig. 2) so that the descending movement of the rear end of the wagon box may be checked; then, by slightly relieving the pressure of the hanger against the strap, the box may be gradually lowered. When it is desired to elevate the wagon-box, the lever 45V would be regulated to swing the hanger into neutralv position; thatis to say-clear of the brakeestrap and not sufliciently far to interfere with the box, whereupon the box may Vbe raised as before explained, and then the hanger-part 40 ywould be swung beneath the body to receive it when the clutch devices are disengaged.

Provided at each side of the box is a chain 49 having its ends connected lwith the box and the frame-members 28 and 231 to supply means to limit the downward swing of the box and to relieve the lines 36 of strains when the box is being loaded. A spring 321 provided on the rod 32 and acting between a stop 5K0 which is rigid with framefmember 23 and a collar 5l provided on the rod, tends to push the rod` rearwardly and yieldingly Allopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, byl addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

hold the clutch element 29 out of engagement with its mate 30.

The operation of the invention will, it is thought, be understood from the foregoing description.

Among the advantages of the invention is, first, that by lowering the wagon-box for loading, the labor of shoveling dirt or other material is lessened by reason of the workmen having to raise the dirt or other material but a relatively short height; second, the wagon box is raised gradually during the forward travel of the wagon, say in a distance of ninety feet, whereby the increased work upon the draft animals is thereby rendered of little moment, and, third, the wagon-box when raised, is sufliciently high to allowthe doors thereof to drop unobstructedly when the load is being dumped.

lWha-t I claim, is-

1. In a wagon, the combination with the wagon-frame, a box hingedly connected at its forward end to said frame, supporting wheels for the frame, the axle for the rear wheels being rotatably vconnected to said frame, a hoisting line connected with the rear end of said box and attached to said axle, and means for releasably coupling said axle to one of said wheels whereby the turning of the latter in the forward travel of the wagon will cause the line to be wound about the axle to elevate the box, of means for regulating the lowering of the box when the same is to be loaded, and means connected with said frame for suspending the box in its lowermost position.

2. In a wagon provided with a frame and a box hinged at its front end to said frame means for raising and lowering the rear end of said wagon-box, brake devices for controlling the speed of the box when lowered, means for 'supporting the wagon-box in its elevated position,said means also serv# ing to actuate said brake devices.

3. ln a wagon provided with a frame and la box hingedly connected at its front end derside of the box for supporting the latter l when in its elevated position.

Signed at Seattle, lVash., this 9th day of January, 1914.

HERMAN C. COPENHAGEN.

Witnesses HORACE BARNES, E. PETERSON.

- Washington, D. C.y 

